Just likeSanta Claus , theU.S. governmenthas its own interlingual rendition of " the naughty lean . " But this one does n’t record boys and girls who fibbed or acted mean to schoolmates on the playground . alternatively , theU.S. Government ’s Consolidated Terrorist Watch Listkeeps track of the great unwashed who are know or suspected terrorist . These are the people the U.S. governance does n’t want to boardplanes , inscribe the country or get avisawithout a lot of hassle .

While the government get no arcanum of the list ’s existence , its official contents are off - limits to the public . That ’s because the Union government believes if terrorists are aware of being on a watch list , they will become more vigilant and slippery in place heinous crimes .

Before the Sept. 11 attacks , more than a dozen watch lists were floating around dissimilar Union agency [ source : U.S. Department of Justice ] . Now , those records have been consolidated into one schoolmaster list maintain by theFBI’sTerrorist Screening Center(TSC ) .

The ontogenesis of TSC and the master leaning grew out of theHomeland Security Presidential Directive 6signed by President Bush in 2003 . The directive outline the federal politics ’s plan to compound all former spotter lists into one master leaning of people " bonk or appropriately suspected to be or have been hire in conduct constituting , in homework for , in economic aid of , or related to terrorism [ informant : The White House ] . "

The number of the great unwashed fit that bill hasballooned , from 325,000 reported in 2006 to around 755,000 public figure of people at home and overseas as of May 2007 [ source : Larence ] . That figure let in false name and different spellings of the same name . Although the Union authorities wo n’t reveal the precise statistics , officials have reported that U.S. citizen only make up a nonage of the lean [ source : Pincus and Eggern ] .

So what exactly do you have to do to land on this list ? Are these convicts , average common people or rightfully horrific people with a penchant for bomb ? Read on to find out what will get you on – and off – the regime ticker inclination .

Getting on a Government Watch List

Getting put on the watch inclination is n’t exactly like making prom queen , but it does require a nomination . An federal agent from theFBI , NSA or other federal agency nominates you . Then , that nomination impress on to the FBI ’s Terrorist Review and Examination Unit . If you delay out as a cognize or potentialterrorist , it ’s on to the Terrorist Screening Center and the vigil list .

What exactly does it mean to be " appropriately suspected [ reservoir : The White House ] " as a likely terrorist ? The FBI and the federal governing remain tightlipped about specific qualifications , continually referring back to the generic guidepost establish in the Presidential Directive .

Besides receive a criminal disk for terrorist - related activities or know associations with terrorists or terrorist organization , there are other fashion people get pegged for the leaning . dynamic rank in some extremist radical could get you a spot . For illustration , the eco - extreme group Earth Liberation Front has been the focus of FBI investigations for the prop equipment casualty members have caused . The FBI calls this grouping ’s activeness " special stake terrorism " [ germ : FBI ] . But if you ’re interested that reading HowStuffWorks articleHow easy is it to slip a nuclear bombwill set off the fed ’s warning signal arrangement , do n’t occupy . Unless you actually attempt to steal a nuclear dud yourself , you ’re credibly fine .

So what about all those average Joes who have been stop and searched by authorities functionary ? Are they terrorists in sheep ’s clothing ?

More in all likelihood , they have the misfortune of share the same name as someone on the terrorist sentry list . If your name jibe a name on the tilt , you ’ll likely be flagged for things influence by the federal politics , such asairtravel , bordercrossings and even getting a speeding ticket . From December 2003 to May 2007 , 53,000 the great unwashed were stopped because their name matched ones on the inclination [ source : Larence ] . However most of those citizenry were questioned and let go of because there was a deficiency of evidence that person was a terrorist [ source : Larence ] .

To see what can happen when you ’re on – or mistaken for someone on – the tilt and learn how to get off of it , go on to the next page .

Getting off a Government Watch List

If you are on the terror watch list , somewhere in Northern Virginia , someone in the Terrorist Screening Center ( TSC ) is looking at you on a screen [ source : Temple - Raston ] . Not a real - fourth dimension image of you , but rather a bleached dot showing your location .

But how can you know whether you ’re on the scout lean if the government does n’t disclose that selective information ? Will you know when work force intrench coatsand shades follow your every move ?

The easy elbow room to find out is to take anairplanetrip . It does n’t matter the address , just try booking a flight and see what happens . The Transportation Security Administration that oversees melodic phrase travel in the United States will automatically flag anyone with a name on the TSC ’s master copy list . As a result , when you arrive at the airdrome , someone will likely pull you apart for an extensivesecurity checkand possibly questioning before allow you to board .

Being repeatedly break off at an airport could also signal that you divvy up the same name as someone on the watch list . This covering feature film has botched many travel plan for regular citizens . Consider the example in 2004 when someone name John Lewis made the government watch list . After that , every John Lewis , including the well - known civic right activist and Georgia example of the same name , had trouble boarding a flying [ reservoir : Goo ] .

Another choice is to check the public list of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons that theU.S. Treasurypublishes . These people are prevent from doing any financial business in the United States , including open bank accounts or obtain loans . Although this is a unlike list from the master that the TSC maintains , if your name matches one on that list , you ’ll probably need to have it polish off .

If you ’re sure that you are n’t a terrorist and do n’t have any intentions of becoming one , there is a redress process that can get you downgraded or murder from the sentry list . Just get through the relevant federal representation and file a redress ailment . For example , if you ’re having trouble at the airport , get in touch with the Transportation Security Administration and finish the paperwork for their Department of Homeland Security redress syllabus .

Then , the information will be passed along to the TSC ’s Redress Unit that evaluates any necessary modification . From January 2005 to February 2007 , 35 pct of mass who complained were kept on the inclination , while 45 percent were either deed over a turn down security layer or removal from the inclination [ source : U.S. Department of Justice ] . To get through the process , you ’ll also need some forbearance because the average waitress time for conclude a ill is 67 sidereal day [ source : U.S. Department of Justice ] .

With so many people being identified as potential terrorists , it may seem nearly unimaginable for a watch - listed someone to skid through government screening . However , an audited account by the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice in 2007 found that 20 citizenry who were on the watch list were not properly identified and confine when they should have been [ informant : U.S. Department of Justice ] .

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